The government has identified 10 potential corridors for development, including a New England line, a line connecting Florida to Washington D.C., and a major Chicago hub network.

The federal stimulus package passed in February includes $8 billion to boost the development of high-speed rail service with an additional $1 billion a year budgeted by the administration over the next five years.

Some policy watchers have suggested that the Obama administration views high-speed trains as one of its most important "legacy" initiatives.

Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness.com